Weymouth Landing development gets another boost

Friday

Apr 28, 2017 at 10:43 PMApr 28, 2017 at 10:43 PM

The redevelopment of Weymouth Landing will crank up another notch when a new four-story, 87-unit apartment house with shops on the ground floor rises next to a similar 11, 486 –square foot apartment complex under construction in Braintree.

Ed Baker ebaker@wickedlocal.com @EdBakerWeymouth

The redevelopment of Weymouth Landing will crank up another notch when a new four-story, 87-unit apartment house with shops on the ground floor rises next to a similar 11,486-square-foot apartment complex under construction in Braintree.

The Weymouth Zoning Board of Appeals approved special permits and variance Wednesday, April 25, for developer Nick Delegas to construct a $22 million building at the corner of Commercial and Washington streets.

Weymouth District 2 Councilor Thomas J. Lacey said the process with getting a redevelopment plan at the site has been long time in coming.

"There have been some good days and some not so good days," he said during the board meeting.

Lacey said Mayor Robert Hedlund’s administration has worked hard with Delegas and other builders who have proposed projects for redeveloping the Landing.

"I share the optimism with some lukewarm hesitation around the unknown," he said. "Sometimes you have to continue down the path and take the risks and challenges. I hope this will be a vibrant mixed-use business district during the next 50 to 75 years. I support the application."

Delegas received a special permit from the board to construct a four-story building that will stretch from the corner of Commercial Street and down Washington Street.

The special permit was required because the overlay zoning in the Landing does not permit structures from exceeding a two-and-a-half story cap.

Delegas’ design includes a parking deck to accommodate 45 cars for apartment tenants, and a 34-space lot that he purchased form Sacred Heart Church.

The parking plan relies on the use of a 33-space municipal lot behind the shops and the board approved a variance that exempts Delegas from having to provide 173 parking spaces under the zoning ordinance.

"The municipal parking plan will have 70 shared spaces with Braintree," Delegas said.

The site includes two entrances and exits from Commercial Street, in addition to an entrance from the Frank Lloyd Wright Connector near the MBTA commuter rail station.

Board chairman Richard MacLeod said he is concerned about possible safety problems on Commercial Street by drivers going south and turning left into the planned apartment complex.

"I’m not sure if we can restrict that," he said.

Weymouth Planning Director Robert Luongo said the town’s traffic engineer Owen MacDonald could monitor the traffic in the Landing with Delegas during construction and after the work is done.

"If issues arise, the developer would agree to work with our traffic engineer on their recommendations on how to mitigate concerns related to (driver) turns," he said.

Luongo said he believes Delegas, developer Joe Gratta, who received approval by the board to construct a four-and-half-story apartment house with shops at 143-145 Washington St., along with Michael Kiley, who received approval last month to build a three-story apartment building behind Passport restaurant, are committed to resolving any potential traffic issues.

"If it proves problematic, we would sit down with the traffic engineer and come up with a solution," he said.

Delegas said he believes all Landing developers share the same goal of mitigating traffic problems.

"We can’t market the property without proper access," he said.

Board member Kemal A. Denizkurt said access to the property is adequate.

"The proposed mixed use will not be a nuisance or a hazard to vehicles and the applicant has three different ways to access the property," he said.

Luongo said there would likely be fine-tuning to managing traffic flow in the Landing as development occurs.

"We are into new development into the Landing," he said. "We will have to make it work."

The board agreed to approve the variance and special permits with an order of conditions that requires Delegas to work with the town traffic engineer on traffic issues and help provide a sign that identifies the Landing to motorists.

"All the (requested) variances are shaped by the lot," Denizkurt said before the board approved the special permits and variance.